Government of Canada invests in community organizations to help seniors to age at home

SCARBOROUGH, ON, Sept. 1, 2023 /CNW/ - After a lifetime of hard work, seniors want to live healthy, safe and independent lives. They should have the choice to age at home, in their communities. The Government of Canada is investing in organizations that are making this choice possible for more Canadians.

Today, the Minister of Seniors, Seamus O'Regan Jr., announced $13.95 million in funding for 11 projects in Ontario under the Scaling Up for Seniors stream of the Age Well at Home initiative. The Minister made the announcement while visiting the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care in Scarborough, which will receive over $1 million for their project, Bridging the service gap to keep seniors aging in place. The Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care will work with the support of communities, senior-serving organizations and other agencies to expand the delivery of their services in Ontario and into British Columbia.

These projects will make a real difference in the lives of seniors. For example, the Alzheimer Society of Canada, which has also received funding, will scale up support services offered in Ontario for seniors living with dementia and their caregivers to all other provinces and territories. Additionally, Rural Ottawa South Support Services will expand their A Friendly Voice project to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador to enable seniors to age well at home through meaningful social connection.

Through the Age Well at Home initiative, organizations are being funded that meet the needs of diverse groups of seniors, including seniors who have a low income, are Black or racialized, Indigenous, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, seniors who live in rural and remote settings, are members of official language minority communities, newcomers and seniors who speak a language other than English or French.

"The choice to age at home is something every Canadian should have. This is about the dignity of seniors to live how and where they want."
-       Minister of Seniors, Seamus O'Regan Jr.

"As Seniors age, Yee Hong is ensuring they have the support they need to continue to thrive within the community that they helped build. That is why I am so proud to see our government investing in this organization and the incredible services they provide to seniors here in Scarborough."
-       Shaun Chen, Member of Parliament for Scarborough North

"Yee Hong is honoured to receive this significant grant from the Age Well at Home Initiative of Employment and Social Development Canada to support seniors across several communities in the Greater Toronto Area to age in place. This funding will enable additional seniors to stay at home by expanding the reach of our existing home support services. Yee Hong will support seniors with system navigation, falls prevention, and to create age-friendly environments with home improvements. We thank Employment and Social Development Canada for investing in Yee Hong so that we can equip many more seniors can enjoy a long, healthy, and high quality of life in their own homes."
-       Dr. San Ng, CEO of Yee Hong 

• Seniors are one of Canada's fastest-growing population groups. They will represent almost 25% of the population by 2057 and could reach close to 11 million people within 15 years.
  
  
  
• Budget 2021 announced $90 million in grants and contributions and operational funding over three years for the Age Well at Home initiative. The initiative has been extended and will run until 2025?2026.
  
  
  
• The Age Well at Home initiative provides funding to seniors-serving organizations for local, regional and national projects which will allow for the discovery of new approaches and learnings to support seniors.
  
  
  
• Projects funded under the Scaling Up for Seniors stream will expand services that have already demonstrated positive results in helping seniors age at home. This funding will help organizations to expand services to reach more seniors, including in other provinces or territories. Projects were selected through a nationwide open call for proposals held in 2022.
  
  
  
• Projects funded under the In-Home Support Pilot Projects stream will test the extent to which volunteers can be mobilized to provide local practical supports such as meals, housekeeping and yard work to help low-income and otherwise vulnerable seniors age at home. Organizations will also help seniors navigate and access existing local services.
  
  
  
• The Government of Canada increased the Old Age Security by 10% for seniors aged 75 and older and the Guaranteed Income Supplement by up to $947 annually for low-income single seniors.
  
  
  
• Budget 2023 introduced the new Canadian Dental Care Plan, which will become accessible to eligible seniors by the end of 2023. Upon full implementation, the program will help up to 9 million uninsured Canadians to get dental care.
  
  
  
• Through Budget 2023, the Government provided a one-time Grocery Rebate to help the Canadians hardest hit by rising food prices. Seniors were among those who received additional funds in on July 5^th.

Programs and services for seniors
New Horizons for Seniors Program ? Engaging seniors, strengthening communities
Backgrounder: Government of Canada supports for seniors

Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook 

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada